Earth Arcade (2022)

Cast

An Yu-jin

As: Self

Kim Mi-hyun

As: Self

Lee Young-ji

As: Self

Lee Eun-ji

As: Self

A True Variety Show Gem

Where do I even begin with this incredible show? To be perfectly honest, all of the current variety shows are becoming a little stale, but this show is like a breath of fresh air. Every minute contains an extremely funny segment that you do not want to miss.

The premise of each episode is as follows: the cast must go to several cities in order to capture a rabbit named Torong. Each episode includes a variety of games that the members must complete in order to eat. It’s not the most unique idea, but the execution of the games makes the show enjoyable and funny, which is, of course, the most important thing variety shows must have.

In my perspective, the best games the four played were the Guess Who game, the Morning Mission Game, and the Shouting in Silence game. But regardless of my favorites, all the games were A LOT of fun to watch, though admittedly it can get pretty repetitive at times.

The cast, in my humble opinion, is the best part of this show. Usually, at least one person in a variety show fades into the background more frequently than the others in the group. This did not occur here. All four were hilarious and had some terrific individual moments. Their chemistry was evident even during their first meeting. The members’ chemistry with Na PD, in particular, was quite humorous. I came to see Yu Jin, my ultimate bias, but I ended up staying for all four of them! 😄

Whoever chose the music for this show deserves a raise. They selected catchy and upbeat songs that fit the vibe of the show. It was also nice to see them use the cast’s own songs, including Oh My Girl’s ‘Dolphin,’ Young Ji’s ‘Compromise’ and ‘Day & Night,’ and IVE’s ‘Love Dive’ & ‘After LIKE.’ There were foreign songs that were easily recognizable to me, like Charlie Puth’s ‘Left and Right,’ Max Schneider’s ‘Checklist,’ Wham’s ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,’ Ariana Grande’s ‘They Don’t Know’ from the movie ‘Trolls,’ Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star,’ and Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions.’ And let’s not forget the amazing kpop songs: (G)I-DLE’s ‘Tomboy,’ Red Velvet’s ‘Zimzalabim,’ TWICE’s ‘Alcohol-Free,’ and NEW JEANS’ ‘Attention’ & ‘Cookie.’ A really solid lineup of songs!

I’m not much of a re-watcher, but I can definitely see myself watching this again in the future. (Which is quite an accomplishment!) I’d recommend this show to anyone who wants to watch a short variety show because they don’t have a lot of time to watch a long-running one or someone who wants to have their cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling too much.